Cool tools

Big gardening jobs will tire your body, but these new products are designed to help your efforts be less painful. These tools are lighter, with easier-to-grip handles, and can encourage less twisting motions. Notice that for planting and digging jobs, curved tools are becoming more common. They allow users to align wrists to suit their preferences.

Also note the HERShovel. It was developed by Green Heron Tools, a Pennsylvania-based start-up led by two women who enlisted the help of ergonomic researchers and female farmers. The result is a shovel with a D-shape handle, a shorter shaft and an angled blade that features oversize areas for foot placement. The makers say the design accounts for the fact that women rely more on lower body strength when shoveling.